Check... Hope you are NOT purchasing 'Plastic rice'

When we were kids, we’ve played the ‘kitchen game’ with plastic food and artificial tea. Now, the game has come to life. A couple of months ago, a nationwide rumour was doing the rounds that ‘plastic eggs’ were being commercialised. These eggs were a produce from China and they were really making the public sweat. But like a million other rumours in this country, the rumour died off and people were sure the eggs weren’t plastic! (Phew)

With the plastic eggs becoming history, ‘plastic rice’ has entered the show. Apparently, some restaurant in West Bengal was serving customers plastic rice.

Now the 'plastic rice' train has arrived in Mumbai. A woman in Andheri literally complained to the FDA about the plastic rice and FDA has started investigating the matter and reported the woman’s complaint, according to Chandrashekhar Salunke, Joint Commissioner (food) at FDA.

Mr Salunke has assured the public that plastic rice will follow plastic eggs into the false rumour section and people need not worry about this hoax.

According to Salunke, the woman who filed the complaint with FDA had purchased rice in Lokhandwala. When she cooked the rice, it became too stiff and when she rolled it, it felt like a plastic ball!

Although the 'plastic rice' story is sort of unbelievable, samples have been collected from the store (the lady purchased the rice from) in Lokhandwala and sent to a lab for testing.

“Plastic rice can be used for artefacts or other purposes but farming artificial rice is impossible. Plastic rice won’t boil in the first place. If the water-rice ratio is not accurate, the rice can get rigid and could become a rigid ball but that’s definitely not plastic”, said Dr Girdhar Patil (Agriculture expert)

"There are a number of fake stories on social media and people need to be practical about things. Don’t believe rumours and panic", added the agriculture expert.